Tag: Referendum 74

Dec.4th

Gov. Chris Gregoire has a few misgivings about what state policy makers had to do as they worked through the Great Recession over the past four years, and tuition policy is one apparent regret. The two-term governor told The Olympian’s editorial board Tuesday that she would like to see tuition reduced in the future, reversing what has been a galloping growth in students’ share of costs for higher education – now hitting 70 percent of the cost of education at four-year universities.

That is double what tuition’s share was in 2000.

Gregoire, a Democrat, did not specify how low she wants tuition to drop, and her top spokesman Cory Curtis later said there was nothing specific in the works in terms of a proposal for her successor, Gov.-elect Jay Inslee. “I think it’s still a question, coming out of the recession, what can the budget handle. This may not be the time to handle that,” Curtis said.

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Nov.1st

The KCTS 9 Washington Poll released its second wave of results today, showing President Obama widening his edge over Republican Mitt Romney to nearly 20 percentage points, while Democrat Jay Inslee is very narrowly ahead of Republican Rob McKenna in the governor’s race.

Among the interesting findings is that independent voters are favoring Obama by 17 points, McKenna by 21 points, while in the attorney general’s race independents favor Democrat Bob Ferguson by 8 points over Republican Reagan Dunn, according to University of Washington associate professor Matt Barreto, who briefed reporters on the poll this morning.

That suggests McKenna’s effort to cut through Obama’s presumed coattails to capture independents and some Democrats is actually working.

Oct.26th

The state Democratic Party reversed course Friday evening, saying it will get rid of about $70,000 in campaign contributions received from Yelm-based spirit-channeler JZ Knight, whose profanity-filled comments on videos hit out at Catholics, gays, Jews and now Mexicans. The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee is giving away another $900 for the same reason in the latest segment of the rapidly unfolding story.

State Democratic Party chairman Dwight Pelz put out a statement Friday evening saying:

“Recently, we have been made aware of comments made by a contributor to the Democratic Party that do not reflect the values of our party. While we did not solicit any contributions from J.Z. Knight at any point, it is important that we make it clear that we view her comments as offensive and do not condone this kind of vitriol.

“Today, I am announcing that the Washington State Democrats will be donating $35,000 to the Anti-Defamation League, and contributing $35,000 to the Referendum 74 campaign. We as Democrats strongly value equality and inclusiveness, values shared by the ADL and supporters of marriage equality.”

Oct.18th

Voters in the Evergreen State are backing President Obama and same-sex marriage by wide margins, while giving Democrat Jay Inslee a very slight edge over Republican Rob McKenna in the Washington governor’s race, according to the latest Washington Poll released today.

Go here for the full results, which carry a strong-blue tint on most issues except for the clear support for limiting taxes and allowing charter schools.

July27th

A Northwest gay-advocacy group is airing television ads statewide tonight in support of same-sex marriage during the local televising of the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games from London.

The ads, sponsored by the Seattle-based Pride Foundation, feature former Washington state senator Cheryl Pflug, a Republican from suburban Maple Valley who talks about gay and lesbian couples she has known and the need to let them marry.

Pride Foundation and New York-based Freedom to Marry released copies of the 30-second ad exclusively to The Olympian and News Tribune late Thursday.

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July2nd

The citizen initiative that would spell out that marriage is only between a man and a woman won’t qualify for the November ballot. Its sponsor, Stephen Pidgeon of Everett, says Initiative 1192 is more than 140,000 signatures short ahead of Friday’s deadline for turning in petitions to the Office of the Secretary of State in Olympia, and he concedes it won’t happen.

“I hate to say it … but we’re just not going to cross the threshold. We’re not going to make it. This measure is not going to be on the ballot,” Pidgeon said of I-1192. …